Women fight to get softball restored for London Olympics

A campaign to get the sole women-only Olympic sport reinstated for the London 2012 games is gathering momentum and significant support.

Softball, which is played by 50 million people in 125 countries and is growing in popularity in Britain, became the first sport to be dropped from the Olympics since polo was removed in 1936. But the sport's supporters, campaigning under the slogan "Let the women play!" are increasingly hopeful that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will reverse its decision.

Softball, which was introduced to the Olympics at Atlanta in 1996, is the one sport in the games open to women only. Although the IOC's mission statement includes a pledge to increase female participation in the games, the removal of softball is likely to reduce the number of women competing by about 200.

The new chairman of the British Olympic Association (BOA), Lord Moynihan, has pledged support for softball. "We should look at all the opportunities to encourage women's participation in sport. To have softball as the one women-only sport reinstated for London 2012 would send out a very positive signal," he said.

Softball, together with baseball, was dropped from the 2012 programme following a vote by the IOC in Singapore in July. Softball needed 53 votes to be retained but the vote of IOC delegates was tied at 52-52, with one abstention.

Now Jacques Rogge, the IOC president, has indicated the matter could be reconsidered at the IOC's next meeting in Turin during the Winter Olympics in February. It would require 35 IOC members to call for a fresh vote. A simple majority would then be required for its reinstatement.

The campaign has included a Europe-wide website petition and lobbying of IOC delegates. Juan Antonio Samaranch, the former IOC president, has already indicated that he believes both softball and baseball could be reinstated for London. If they are, they will be played in a £17m temporary venue in Regent's Park.

Bob Fromer, general manager of the national team, said: "Our schools programme has been enormously popular. The sport is a well-kept secret, but once they [children] are introduced to it, they love it. Most women give up sport when they leave school - but softball attracts those who are not that athletic and have had bad experiences with sport at school."

There are more than 20 leagues and 500 teams in cities and towns all over the country. In London during the summer, Regent's Park is taken over four nights a week for after-work matches.

Mr Fromer said: "Taking part in 2012 would mean a great deal - for a sport with no media coverage, it would mean having matches televised live in primetime on BBC and we would have public money. It would wind up with thousands more people playing the sport."

Stephanie Jardine, 35, a member of the British team, hopes to compete at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. The success of the team, now ranked fourth in Europe, has resulted in a £528,000 grant from UK Sport to fund qualification.

She said: "Up until now the team has been self-funding and we have to rely on players with British passports based in the US and Australia. If we had 2012 in our sights, we would get longer term funding to encourage more kids to play at the grassroots in this country - and spot those aged 12 to 15 now who have the potential to compete in 2012."

She said it was devastating to find the sport removed from the London games. "I do not think the IOC realised how big a sport it is worldwide - there has been a massive campaign, not just in the US, but in Europe, particularly from Italy, France and Holland ... Hopefully they will see sense."

The rules of the game

Softball is played on grass on a diamond-shaped pitch. There is a pitching mound inside the diamond and bases at each of the corners - home, first, second and third. Nine players a side take it in turns to bat, using a wooden bat. The ball, which is thrown underarm by the pitcher, is heavier and larger than a baseball - and not soft, as the sport's name suggests. Runs are scored by circuiting the bases, while players can be caught or tagged out.

The innings is over when three batters are dismissed. The match is played over seven innings.

Slowpitch softball is the form commonly played around the UK by mixed teams. Fastpitch softball is the Olympic version of the game.